Mazda Announces Small Recalls for CX-5 and Mazda3

Yesterday, Mazda filed two “Part 573”s with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which meant it was launching two recalls that, although they affect fewer than 1,500 cars in total, could affect driver safety.

The first, more numerous recall affects some 1,076 of the brand’s top-seller 2017 CX-5, although only those with a genuine Mazda accessory trailer hitch harness installed. In these few crossovers, the wires for the harness are routed in an “inappropriate” manner so that there isn’t quite enough space between the wires and the CX-5’s main exhaust silencer. Over time, if those two rub together, the wires could degrade and short-circuit, so any trailer connected to the harness would lost its tail lamps and turn signals. Mazda reports no injuries from this recall.

The second recall is a little more serious, although only affects 144 vehicles, all of them 2018 Mazda3 models. In the affected vehicles, there is an “incorrect” exhaust valve spring installed in the cylinder head, which over time could cause weird noises, increased engine vibration, and warning lights to turn on—if left alone long enough, the spring could break and stall the engine in a way that prevents it from restarting. Like with the above recall, Mazda has no reports of injuries, but here has added that there have also been no reports of loss of control or accidents.

If you want to see if your new Mazda is one of those affected, use the VIN number on either the NHTSA website or Mazda’s own recall-resource site to check for open recalls on your vehicle.